Feeder and packer for pulverulent materials



March 18 1924. 1,487,683

E. A. MARSH FEEDER AND PACKE IR FOR PULVERUL'ENT MATERIALS Patented Mar. 18, l924- nsLI A, MARSH,

or onroneo, ILLINoIs, AssIeNoR 'r'o *J. F. n'LA sn Es snavron, 1nd,. or oHIcAGo, ILLINOIS, .A con-ronncrron or rumors.

' FEEDER AND PAGKER Fort PuLv RULENr'MA'rEnIALs- Application filed October 22, 1923. SerialNo 669,979.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Esm A. MARSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of :Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeders and Packers for Pulverulent Materials, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designedparticularly for use in the feeding and packing of flour or similar pulverulent materials into bags or cartons. Flour is of such consistency that it tends, when being discharged into a bag or sack, to cake or pack in such a way as to imperfectly fill the bag or sack to the desired degree. Flour is a semi free flowing material, in which respect it differs from sand or granular materials, theparticles of which do not tend in like measure to adhere or coalesce to one another, for which reason it filled to the desired degree and is being removed from the delivery spout. Another objection to the devices at present in use lies in the fact that they do not measure the desired charge with exactness, so .that the sacks are sometimes unevenly filled unless extreme care is taken to secure uniformity.

The present invention is designed to over come the difiiculties noted, and at the same time provide a combined feeder and packer which will be certain,'efi'ective and rapid in operation, as well as simple in construction,

andwhich will be adapted for the feeding of flour or other pulverulent materials of various kinds.

In the drawings: Figure l is a sectional elevation of the feeder and packer of the present invention in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view in open or feedingposition; and

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof. The feeder and packer of the present in;

ventiori is applied to a chute 10 preferably of rectangular shape, comprising side walls l1 and ,end walls 12. The upper end of the chute is flared to afford a throat 13 across which extends a bridgeplate 14 provided with a pair of upstanding guide sleeves '15 which furnish guideways for the up and down reciprocation of a pair of plunger rods 16, which workin alternation to one another. Each plunger rod carries at its lower end a plunger 17 of generally rectangular shape in cross section and. ofa size to fit snugly within the rectangular chute within;

which it reciprocates. The inner opposed faces of the two plungers are provided with downwardly projecting teeth or serrations 18 each provided with an abrupt lower face l9 and an easy .upper face 20, theabrupt lower faces extending at a substantially right anglerelation to the wallsof the inclosing'chute, and the edges of the opposed teeth occupy positions substantially in 0011-. tact with one another when the two plung ers are moved to the medial positionas in Fig. 1.

The rear WHll Of each plunger is preferably provided with a vertically extending groove 21 open at its lower end, and the two I plunger rods are adapted to be reciprocated in alternation to one another by any suitable means, as, for instance, a pivoted walking beam 22 to which the plunger rodsarc secured by a pin and slot connection 23, suitable means being provided to impart the necessary rocking movement to the walking The bags or packages to be filled. are supported upon a yieldable platform 24 which will be held in close proximity to the mouth of the chute, when the bag is first applied to, the end of the chute and will recede therefrom under the pressure of the accumulat ing charge of flour orthe like, during the progress of. filling and packing the bag. The platform 24 may be heldupwardly by 'means of a spring as shown, or byany other suitable means such as a counterweight; As shown, the bags to be filled are of rectangular shape and of a size to closely circle the mouth of the chute during the feeding operation. 1

In use, the flour or other pulverulent material will descend through the tapered throat of thechute and be cut off by the uppermost opposed pair of packer teeth which initially occupy the medial position ladicated in Fig. 1. In this position it will be noted the inner edges or. the two teeth in conjuction will lie practically in Contact with 118 another so as to completely close the chute against the escape of flour. With the bag in position and with its bottom in close proximity to the mouth of the chute the plungers will begin to reciprocate, and with each reciprocati, n the flour will be fed in a zigzag path of travel past the'teeth when in staggered relation and the charge of flour will begin to accumulate within the bag or sack beneath the chute. Each re-' ciprocation of-a plunger will serve not only to feed downward a charge of flour, butf-the lower fiat end of the plunger will act as a packer to pack and compress the flour into the sack; and this operation will continue until the sack has been filled to the desired degree, after which the operation of the packers will be arrested, with the packers in the medial position, so that no flour will be permitted to. dribble away from the packer during the removal of the filled bag I and the substitution of an empty one.

In addition to the positive pressure exerted by the ends of the plungers, the reciprocation of the latter and the agitation occasioned by the positively moving teeth will serve to thoroughly agitate the flour in the chute and in the hop-per above, thereby positively and certainly feeding down the flour to the delivery point and preventing the massing or caking thereof.

The grooves 21 are provided to facilitate the egress of any small quantity of flour which may work into the space intermediate the ivalls of the chute and the plungers, although such grooves are not necessar in case a sutfiiently snug fit between the xed and moving surfaces can be otherwise se- 4 cured.

The invention is one which is adapted for use with many kinds of pulverulent materials, although it is particularly adapted for the feeding of flour in View of the semi.- free flowing character of the flour.

Although the invention has been illustrated in form to adapt it for use particular- 1y with rectangular bags, it is obvious that the shape of the chute and the packers themselves might be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a combined feeder and packer. the combination of a chute. a plunger within the chute, said plunger having downwardly projecting teeth, an opposing member having downwardly projecting teeth, and means for reciprocating the plunger, the

memes edges of tlIG'OPPOSG/d teeth lying in close relation to one another when in 'the medial position, substantially as described.

2. In a. combined feeder and packer, the combination of achutc, a pairof reciprocal blc plungersslidably mounted within the chute, each of theplungers being provided with downwardly projecting teeth, the inner edges of the .teeth when the plun ers occupy the medial position being in 5059 relation to one another and the under faces of the plunger teeth affording packing sur faces, and means for reciprocating the plungers in alternation with one another,-

proximity to the discharge end of the chute,

substantially as described.

4. In a combined feeder and packer, the combination of ,a chute, a pair or reciprocable plunger-s slidably mountedwithin the chute, each of the plungers being provided with downwardly projecting teeth,'the inner edges of the teeth when the plungers occupy the medial position being in close relation'to one another and the under faces of the plunger teeth affording packing surfaces, means for reciprocating the plungers in alternation with one another, and a-yieldableplatform adapted when elevated to support the bottom of a package in close roximity to the discharge end of the c ute,

substantially as described.

5. In a combined feeder and packer, the combination of a chute terminating-at its upper end in an enlarged throat, a pair of plungers slidably mounted within the chute,

each plunger being provided with teeth hav- 4 ing anoblique'upper surface and an abrupt lower surface, and the inner edges of the teeth standing in close relation with one another when the plungers occupy the, medial position, a plunger rod upstanding from each of the plungers, means for reciprocating the plunger rods and plungers in alternation with one another, and a yieldable 'plaform adapted to support the bottom of a package in close proximity to the mouth of the chute, substantially as described.-

ESLI A. MARSH. 

